Horror and tension
Horror builds decisions around limited certainty, defensive means and safe recovery time. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map.
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Mechanics and variants
1Survival horror and limited defensesOverview and example ↗Limited defenses turn threatening encounters into choices between resistance, avoidance and spending a scarce reserve.4
Mechanic variants
- Ammunition limits direct confrontations.
- Gunfire noise attracts additional threats.
- Consumables create a brief safety window.
- Injuries reduce options for subsequent escape.
Design example. The last round clears a passage but attracts an opponent from another wing. Prototype check: Test completion with the minimum viable supplies, including avoidance of optional combat.
2Hiding and escaping from threatsOverview and example ↗Hiding preserves uncertainty about position, while escape requires breaking contact and finding a safe next move.4
Mechanic variants
- Hiding blocks vision but does not remove noise.
- Held breath limits motionless hiding time.
- Decoys shift attention to another room.
- Moving between shelters creates exposure windows.
Design example. A player hides behind shelving and moves under machinery noise to reach a door. Prototype check: Test that searching follows threat observations rather than permanent knowledge of player position.
3Psychological horror and uncertaintyOverview and example ↗Uncertainty requires interpreting incomplete signals while preserving doubt without arbitrarily invalidating every rule.4
Mechanic variants
- Conflicting signals permit several explanations.
- Repeated scenes alter one meaningful detail.
- Limited sources have testable reliability.
- Consequences distinguish threats from appearances.
Design example. Footsteps may be echoes, but a later open door provides independent evidence of a presence. Prototype check: Test whether careful observation remains useful after unreliable perception has been revealed.
4Anomaly hunting and detecting changesOverview and example ↗Players compare a familiar place with its current state and decide whether a change is a meaningful anomaly.4
Mechanic variants
- Baseline scenes provide time to learn normality.
- Object changes violate a learned expectation.
- Reporting rules set the cost of false alarms.
- New cycles test a different feature type.
Design example. An evacuation arrow changes direction on a familiar floor while the furniture remains unchanged. Prototype check: Test anomaly visibility across resolutions and exclude incidental lighting variation from valid answers.
5Pursuers and adaptive behaviorOverview and example ↗A pursuer selects behavior from observations and memory, making habitual escape methods less reliable through adaptation.4
Mechanic variants
- Memory raises interest in a previously used hiding place.
- Hearing creates a last known search region.
- Flanking changes routes when a direct path closes.
- Adaptation limits preserve counterplay.
Design example. Repeated closet escapes make a pursuer check closets more often without knowing the correct one. Prototype check: Test learning from available observations only and preserve another viable way to escape.
6Sanctuaries, respite and tension cyclesOverview and example ↗Respite reduces immediate risk and restores planning time; leaving safety reintroduces uncertainty.4
Mechanic variants
- Clear boundaries separate shelter from danger.
- Limited supplies prevent free complete recovery.
- Short safe loops provide time to interpret events.
- Breached sanctuaries signal a changed rule beforehand.
Design example. A lit control room allows map reading, but fuel for the next excursion remains limited. Prototype check: Test recognition of respite and the ability to stop a session comfortably inside a sanctuary.
7Sensory limitations and incomplete informationOverview and example ↗A constrained perception channel changes information gathering, increasing the value of available signals and verification.4
Mechanic variants
- Light cones restrict the visible sector.
- Noise masks a quiet approaching threat.
- Instruments display traces with a delay.
- Alternative channels preserve essential accessibility.
Design example. An instrument detects motion behind a wall but updates slowly and shows no exact creature shape. Prototype check: Test essential signal readability with accessibility settings and decorative effects disabled.
8Cooperative horror and group riskOverview and example ↗Group risk arises from split tasks, mutual dependence and limited communication while under threat.4
Mechanic variants
- Splitting speeds objectives at the cost of support.
- Communication noise exposes the team.
- Rescue forces a shared route change.
- Shared resources require coordinated spending.
Design example. One participant starts a basement generator while others hold a door and report the approaching threat. Prototype check: Test recovery after a disconnect and useful actions for a participant left alone.
Sources and examples
Sources support particular techniques or methodology, not every family variant. Design examples and mechanic combinations are illustrative.
- Frictional Games: Amnesia
Developer overview of exploration, uncertainty, hiding and escape as responses to threats; not evidence for every proposed variant.
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